


Cost of Happiness

by Fastpacing



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: #96linefest, #onceuponadawn, 96line, Fantasy AU, M/M, Witch AU, are they platonic, are they romantic, i certainly don't, the soonwoo is up for imagination, who knows - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-10-11 07:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,431
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20542691
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fastpacing/pseuds/Fastpacing
Summary: When Jihoon loses his voice under mysterious circumstances, Junhui and their friends try to find a way to get it back.Whatever it costs.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Expectations aren't always met.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my submission for the Once Upon A Dawn Fic Fest!!  
I actually had this idea for a while and when the fic fest came up, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to work on it!  
Anyway, this is a bit messy but I hope you guys enjoy it!
> 
> Also, I'd like to let it be known that this fic is not intended to be offensive in any way or manner.  
The topic of losing one's voice, in this case, is caused by fantastical circumstances and it's not supposed to be a reflection of anything that happens in real life. Even so, I tried my best to educate myself in the time I had to write this fic.  
What I am trying to say is that this is a work of fiction set in a fictional world and it is not my intention to offend anyone by the things written here. However, if you find anything that might be insensitive or offensive, I am truly sorry, and I would appreciate if you could please let me know and educate me.
> 
> That being said, please enjoy!

It was here, it was finally here. The Autumnal Equinox, or as it was more commonly known, the first day of Autumn. When the air had already began growing chillier and the leaves would soon bid goodbye to their summery green color.

It was also the day Jun had been waiting for for nearly two months, the day Minghao said he'd be back from his vacation. Junhui held onto it like a promise, counting the weeks, days and hours until that very moment. And now it was finally here.

It had barely been an hour since the sun had risen, yet Junhui was already getting the house ready. Preparing breakfast, doing the dishes, dusting the shelves; everything to make their home seem in top condition. In fact, he was in the middle of vacuuming the living room when the vacuum cleaner suddenly stopped working.

"Uh?" The boy's brows quirked in confusion, his eyes slowly following the electrical cord to see if he had somehow tugged on it too hard. What he met on the end of it suddenly clarified all his questions, and brought a bright smile to his face.

Standing there, holding what should be plugged to a wall, was a disgruntled looking Jihoon, still in his pajamas and with his hair sticking up a bit on the front. Well, pajamas was a compliment, as they were more of his old t-shirt and sweatpants assigned for bed. That was a sight that Jun was used to, even though he looked particularly displeased that morning. However, if you asked the taller, that only made him look even cuter.

"Good morning, Jihoonie!" The melodic call didn't seem to ease his frown, and it didn't take Junhui long to figure out why it was there. "Aah, sorry, did I wake you up?" He chuckled bashedly, leaving the vacuum cleaner unattended as he instead approached the younger, cupping his round cheeks to place a firm kiss on his exposed forehead. He could see the boy's scowl faltering at that, but he knew better than to point it out. Instead he settled for just a smirk, knowing he had momentarily eased his grumpy tendencies.

"It's 7 o'clock." Jihoon signed once the older finally released him, and then pointed at the clock on the wall just for emphasis.

"I know, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Jun repeated, ducking his head with an embarrassed chuckle. "I just thought I should get the house ready! They could be coming in at any minute, and you know how Hao can be with messy places. And we don't want to get him angry!" The taller explained, though he didn't seem to convince the younger.

In fact, all he got from him was a raised brow and a look of '_ try again _'.

With a sigh, Jun relented, his shoulders sagging a bit. "Fine, I'm nervous." A pout formed as he spoke, but he was unaware. "I tried going back to bed but I just kept thinking about it. I really want things to go right, you know? And I know they will, but also we don't know what we're dealing with. What if it's a dangerous curse? What if you get hurt? What if–" 

He paused as soon as he felt Jihoon's hand squeezing his, looking up to find the other sharing a small smile with him. The younger then let go to sign a quick but clear "It'll be fine", and as simple as that was, it did bring Junhui some comfort.

The older breathed in deeply, nodding a bit. "I know, I know. I'm just anxious, you know how I get." He was referring of course to the fact that he couldn't stay still when something was on his mind. Which was more likely the main reason why he felt the urge to go on a cleaning spree so early in the morning.

The shorter's smile turned warmer, but there was something else in his eyes, something more. It looked almost as if he knew something, but before Junhui had the chance to ask there was a loud banging on the door, startling the two of them.

"Guys, open up! It's us!" Soonyoung's characteristically loud voice blasted through as if the door wasn't even closed, and Junhui caught Jihoon's almost immediate reaction to roll his eyes. The older snickered at the other's supposedly sour mood, sneaking a peck on his cheek before rushing over to the door.

"Hey guys, come in." Jun greeted their two friends as they walked into the house, closing the door behind them after giving each a half hug. "Didn't think you'd be here so early." He pointed out, noticing how Soonyoung's sunny disposition wildly mismatched Wonwoo's tired frown.

"Told you it was too early." The dark haired boy complained, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.

"It's not too early! Look, they're both up!" Soonyoung gestured to both their hosts.

"Yeah, tell that to Jihoonie." Wonwoo pointed out, referring to the boy's lack of social clothes and still unruly hair. "It looks like jumped out of bed."

"Actually, that's my fault." Junhui raised his hand with a guilty smile. "I woke him up with all my stress cleaning."

Wonwoo snickered then, greeting his shorter friend. "You're lucky. At least you didn't have to wake up to Soonyoung breaking into your house at five in the morning." Now that he said that, Junhui could tell he was sporting a similar look to Jihoon's that morning. The slightly messy hair, the comfortable clothes, the overall aura of '_ someone woke me up much earlier than I intended to _'.

"It's not breaking in, you gave me a key." Soonyoung deffended with an insulted looking frown.

"I gave you a key for _ emergencies _." Wonwoo corrected him.

"It was a bathroom emergency!" The blonde argued, though it only made Wonwoo roll his eyes.

"You live in the woods half the time, you should be used to bathroom emergencies."

"Exactly! You didn't expect me to pee on a tree when I could use your bathroom, right? That's just cruel!" Soonyoung's voice was taking a more whinier tone, and despite feeling a bit bad for him, Junhui couldn't help but chuckle.

However, knowing the two could go on discussing for days, the older decided to take the subject somewhere else.

"I made breakfast!" He announced, the promise of food easily getting their attention. "Jihoonie, we can save you some food if you wanna go change first." He suggested, getting a nod from the younger. Meanwhile, the other two made their way to the kitchen, bickering on about something else now, Jun hadn't really paid attention.

Either way, he was glad they were there. Despite all the fighting and teasing, their company really helped him with his nerves. And although Jihoon liked to act like it didn't, Junhui knew it truly helped him as well.

  


\----

  


Their home wasn't always quiet. In fact, in the three and a half years they'd lived together, Junhui and Jihoon's house had been anything but quiet. How could it be quiet, when there lived a wording witch?

Every witch had their own favorite type of magic. Soonyoung, for example, specialized in elemental magic. Jun himself specialized in dimensional magic and levitation. Wonwoo, however, preferred potions, and carried an incredible talent for them. So much so, he even opened a small shop a little further into the woods. And Jihoon, of course, was a wording witch.

Each wording witch had their own style of magic. They all mostly focused on spells, but the way they created the spells was personal to each of them. Many used poems, literature; some even created languages, but not Jihoon.

No, Jihoon created music.

He wrote out spells in verses and rhymes, only to sing them softly. Sometimes he'd play along on his piano, making the magic even stronger. He had a talent for stringing words together in a manner that made it all sound effortless, rhyming the perfect syllables and marking the rhythm with his pauses. Sometimes Junhui joked Jihoon cast a spell on him with his voice, because there was no sound Junhui loved more in the world.

Therefore, their house was never quiet. There was always music, humming, words being tested and thought out before they were weaved together in a sentence. Sure, Jihoon didn't hold all the blame himself. Junhui was at least half guilty, with his heavy steps and unusual bouncing. The older also enjoyed humming, singing, even talking to himself as he cooked or cleaned. Jihoon often repeated that they were lucky they had no neighbors, otherwise they would get noise complaints every day.

But no, they lived in a cottage-like house in the outskirts of the city, far from the buzz of civilization but still close enough so they saw a car or two pass by the road in front of their house every hour or so. Their backyard lead to the woods where the city was no more, but where some of their friends lived, one of them being Wonwoo.

It was the perfect location, where they could be as loud as they wanted, with no one to interrupt them but the fireflies at night and the birds in the morning. 

That was, however, until about two months ago.

Since then, the house had been quiet. No singing, no humming, words barely being spoken. And although it had already quite a few weeks, Jun still had trouble getting used to it.

"When's Minghao getting here?" 

The boy snapped out of his thoughts as Soonyoung's voice rang in his ears, watching as the boy handed him a wet plate. Junhui took it with a rag already in his hands, wiping the dish clean. The two had offered to do the dishes while Wonwoo and Jihoon chilled out in the living room, a way of apologizing for waking them up so early.

"He said around noon. Knowing how punctual he is, probably no minute after that." The older teased, listening to the water escaping the faucet and hitting the soapy dishes underneath. Lately the older had become hyper aware of those sounds, as if they echoed in the not so big house.

"Is Mingyu coming with him?" Soonyoung wondered, careful as he cleaned up a larger pot. He had a way of making the water swish around it, stopping it from splashing it back at him or Junhui. If the older wasn't so into his own head he'd find it mesmerizing.

"I think so. I mean I didn't ask, but they're always together anyway." The two of them snicker, knowing it to be true. It was nearly impossible to see one without the other. "I invited them for lunch afterwards, since they're coming all this way anyway. So if you guys wanna stay for lunch–"

"I'm surprised you're even asking." Soonyoung snorted, handing him the black pot. "Wait, does that mean Mingyu's cooking? I haven't eaten his food in ages."

Junhui chuckled at that, bumping his shoulder against the other. "Yah, I'm not asking him to cook. I'm already asking his husband a huge favor, I'm not that shameless."

"As a wise man once said, shame only pulls you back." Soonyoung quoted, now moving onto the cups.

"Says who?" The older raised a brow.

"Me. I'm the wise man." Soonyoung smirked, but Junhui could only roll his eyes at that, a grin still tugging on his lips. "By the way… Are you sure this is gonna work?"

The grin quickly disappeared then, Jun's eyes falling back on the cup he was now drying. "...I don't know." He bit his lip nervously. Waiting two months for Minghao to come back from his trip had already been torture. But through all those days, all he had in mind was that they only had to wait that long until they could start getting things back to normal.

"I know the chances of things working out right away are very low, but like… Even if we just get an idea of what curse this is, it's already something, right?" Junhui smiled small, trying his best to stay positive. "Happy thoughts."

Soonyoung watched him for a moment, before bumping gently against him. When Junhui looked up, the blonde was sporting a smile as well. "Happy thoughts." He agreed, making his own smile grow a bit more.

  


\----

  


Once Minghao and Mingyu arrived, it's another cacophony of sounds. Greetings, laughter, even some yelling, all mixed together in the cozy living room. Jun himself hadn't seen the two in a very long time, so it took them all a while to catch up. In fact, it was only about half an hour in that they started talking about the purpose of their trip.

"So this happened two months ago?" Minghao asked, holding Jihoon's face in both hands as if he was examining him. Well, technically, he was. The younger witch was specialized in curses, and was particularly talented in removing them, which was why they had called for him in the first place.

"Yeah. Wonwoo brought him in one night and he wasn't speaking anymore." Junhui explained.

The chains that connected Minghao's rings swayed gently as he tilted the shorter's head from one side to the other, eyes sharp and focused under his long dark fringe. "And how did you find him?"

"He showed up at the shop like that, tired and not saying a word." Wonwoo answered, knowing the question was directed at him. "He looked like he had ran a marathon or something, and when he tried to talk, nothing came out. I just brought him straight here."

"And how did you get to his shop?" Minghao asked the boy he was facing now, one hand letting go while the other slowly slid down to the other's chest, over his heart. As he kept his hand over Jihoon's shirt, Jun could feel small waves of energy flowing through, unsure of what they were or meant.

"I can't remember." A pen floated through air, answering the other's question. It was an enchanted pen, a gift from one of Soonyoung's travels. It could write in thin air, creating a stroke of light that wrote out any sentence the user thought of, old letters disappearing as the new ones were formed. It took some practice to use it, in the beginning the object often wrote out thoughts Jihoon didn't mean to say, but now he managed to get the hang of it somewhat. Still, in a daily basis he prefered either signing or writing out on the phone or paper, as they required less effort.

"Hmm." Minghao hummed, pulling back his hand as he continued to examine the other with his eyes. "Unusual."

"Is that bad?" Junhui asked out, fiddling with his own fingers in a sign of nervousness.

"It's unusual." Minghao answered unhelpfully. 

Perhaps sensing the older's distress, Mingyu took a hold of his shoulder with a comforting squeeze, sending a small smile his way that did help calm his nerves a little bit.

"I'd like to talk to Jihoon-hyung alone, if that's okay." The dark haired witch spoke out then, looking at the rest of the group. "Curses can be quite unique to each witch, and alone I can feel its energy better."

"Yeah, yeah, of course." Junhui nodded, gesturing towards the stairs. "You can use one of the bedrooms upstairs, if you'd like."

"Is that okay with you?" Minghao then turned his attention back to Jihoon, who nodded as well. "Alright, then we'll be back in just a moment." And with that the two headed upstairs, leaving the rest of them, especially Jun, with no clue of what was going on.

The older wrung his hands together, lips pressed together as he tried to come up with why Minghao needed to see him alone. Junhui had studied a bit about curses a while ago, but his knowledge was at most shallow, and so he had no idea how these things worked. And of course, his mind was eager to jump to the worst conclusion.

"Don't worry hyung," Jun blinked up at the taller, who once again was trying to soothe him with a smile. "If it was something bad, Hao would say so."

"So this happens a lot?" Junhui wondered with a bit of hope.

"More often than you'd think. I think he likes talking to people on their own, too. Makes them a bit more comfortable." Mingyu explained.

"You're a werewolf yet you know more about these things than I do." Junhui realized with a bit of amusement.

"Nah, I just know Hao too well." And that was most likely true. 

After all, Junhui wasn't completely joking when he said the two went everywhere together. Even when they'd just started dating, Minghao and Mingyu had connected in a way that few people can. And when Mingyu was turned less than three months into their relationship, their friends feared it would mean the end of that connection. However, it only made it stronger. 

Contrary to Mingyu's assumptions, Minghao had chosen to stay with him, regardless of who he'd become. And through thick and thin, they stuck it out together, managing to build a bond so strong that they decided to make it official.

Jun couldn't have been happier for them. And the memory brought him an unexpected sense of comfort, an idea that if the two of them could go through that, then him and Jihoon could face whatever this curse was, too.

"Hao always tells if it's something bad." Mingyu continued then, bringing him back to the present. "He doesn't like leading people on. So if it was something dangerous, he'd tell us right away. Don't worry."

Junhui nodded a bit, managing to return the younger boy's smile. Not worrying was hard, but trusting Mingyu was much easier. "I'll try." He agreed, trying not to think too much of what could be going on in the upstairs bedroom.

  


\----

  


"What?"

Junhui asked, because he wasn't sure he heard the other right. In fact, he was certain he hadn't.

"It's not a curse." Minghao repeated, and though his tone was as serious as always, there was a look of apology in his eyes, as if he knew Junhui would probably not take it very well.

Him and Jihoon had just returned from the bedroom, after spending what was probably fifteen minutes in there - though it felt like much longer. In the meantime, the rest of them had been waiting comfortably in the living room, trying to keep up a casual conversation. Junhui knew they only did it to distract him, and he was thankful, but it didn't stop his mind from coming up with all types of conclusions to what was going on.

Yet of all theories, Junhui certainly wasn't expecting this one.

"What do you mean it's not a curse?" Soonyoung asked for him, given the taller was currently having trouble forming sentences. He was still trying to grasp the situation, trying to figure out what his reaction could be, because he certainly wasn't expecting this. "It's got all the signs of a curse, right?"

"In a way, yes, but it's missing its signature." Minghao explained with a sigh, and only then did Junhui noticed his friend was as disappointed as he was. "I understand it looks a lot like a curse. The lack of knowledge of the source, the loss of an ability, the extended effects… However, every curse leaves a magical signature. When you curse someone, a part of your magic stays with them, like a fingerprint. Doesn't matter how small the curse is, it's always detectable. A curse so strong as to last for almost two months, it should've definitely left a signature that matched its power."

"But it didn't?" Mingyu frowned slightly, looking even more perplexed as the others.

"The only magical energy I was able to sense was Jihoon's. No one else's." Minghao pressed his lips together, looking at Junhui once more as a way of apologizing.

He wasn't at fault, though; Junhui knew that. Minghao was just trying to help, and Jun was sure he had done his best. He wasn't at fault, just like Jihoon wasn't, just like everyone else wasn't, and it frustrated him to no end. Junhui didn't know what would come from Minghao's visit, but of course he had expectations. Best case scenario? He'd be able to lift the curse. Worst case scenario? Well, Junhui didn't like thinking about that one. But still, in no scenario did he picture there being no curse. He expected to at least have someone to blame, a lead to follow, but there was nothing.

And that made him completely exasperated.

"I know it's disappointing." The younger continued, as if reading his feelings through his wide eyes and twitching brows. "But I believe this is actually a good thing."

"How so?" Mingyu asked, because Junhui couldn't find the right words. And he'd rather stay quiet than speak the wrong ones. At that moment, he felt like he was the one who had gone voiceless.

"Curses can be incredibly hard to remove, not to mention potentially dangerous." Minghao explained. "You know I'm not one to sugarcoat things, so believe me when I say this. Whatever magic this is, it's clearly not as harmful as a curse. It's gonna be difficult to figure out what it is, but I can assure you, Jihoon is in no harm."

On pure instinct, Junhui's eyes finally fell on Jihoon. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of him yet. All the time since they had returned from the bedroom, he was worried about his own feelings, disappointed in his own expectations, and he hadn't even considered how Jihoon was feeling. If he felt the news were disappointing, how must've Jihoon felt? He was the one without a voice, he was the one going through the worst of it, and Junhui had selfishly worrying about his own feelings.

Shaking himself off a bit, the older managed to flash them a small smile. He wouldn't lie and pretend it was all okay, but he wouldn't sulk either. Jihoon needed someone to cheer him up, reassure him that it'd be alright. He needed a smile, not a frown.

"That's good news then, right? In a way..." Junhui reasoned, letting out a breathy chuckle. "I mean, it's not exactly what we were expecting, but it's something." He nodded, pressing his lips together while slowly rolling back and forth on the balls of his feet. "Anyway, we should probably get started on lunch now, right? You guys must be starving."

"Junnie..." Soonyoung called softly, his worried eyes making it even harder for Jun to keep up his mood.

"We don't need to do lunch anymore if you're not in the mood. We can just eat out or something." Mingyu suggested, though the older was quickly shaking his head.

"Nonsense. We invited you guys for lunch, not just for you to help out. We haven't seen each other in ages, we gotta catch up." Junhui insisted, because he also wasn't sure if they should be alone at the moment.

"Alright, then at least let us set the table?" Junhui gave into their request, nodding at Wonwoo who guided the other three into the kitchen.

And then it was the two of them again, in the quiet of the living room.

Jihoon looked so small, so lost. His eyes were fleeting, his tongue repeatedly running over his bottom lip, as if he had a thousand things to say. He probably did.

"I'm sorry." Junhui apologized as he approached the younger, taking his hands in his and squeezing gently. "I thought we could… I thought we would've figured something out. I can't imagine how disappointing this all must be to you." He smiled sadly, catching the other's eyes that were now fixed on him. "But I promise we'll figure this out, okay? I promise we'll get your voice back. It just might take a little bit longer."

As Junhui leaned in to press his lips against his forehead, the other pushed him back gently. He was surprised at first, afraid Jihoon would be too upset, but he didn't look like such. He looked serious, determined.

"Don't apologize." The pen wrote in the air between them. "Don't ever apologize for any of this, please. It's not your fault. None of it is your fault." The letters shown in that golden yellow, Jihoon's face warm and strong behind them. That vision on its own moved him, proved to him once again how strong and kind Jihoon could be.

Without thinking it over, Junhui leaned down, the gold yellow dissolving around his features as he pulled Jihoon into a gentle kiss. His thumbs ran over the younger's cheeks, round and soft the way Junhui loved them. And oh, how Junhui loved them. How Junhui loved _ him _.

"Alright." The older agreed with a whisper, a moment after pulling back. He wouldn't apologize, he'd just work harder. He'd read every book they owned and didn't own if he had to. 

He'd get him his voice back.

But for now, he just settled on taking his hand again, pulling on it with a slightly brighter smile. "Come on, I promised Mingyu I wouldn't make him cook for us."

  



	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Magic has a way of balancing itself out.

Six weeks later, the cold had already made his presence known. It first arrived in the form of thicker coats and closed windows, and now with the nights getting longer and snow threatening to arrive, Fall was slowly bidding them goodbye only to welcome Winter.

Thankfully, Wonwoo's shop was always cozy, indifferent to the seasons. During the summer, it was breezy and refreshing, with herbal scents that made the whole house smell like a fine sunny day. In the winter, it always welcomed them with warmth and sweet scents, such as cinnamon and vanilla. Today, at the later half of Autumn, the shop invited them in with the faint smell of pumpkin and ginger, and a warmth that allowed them to take off their coats but keep the thin sweaters they wore underneath.

The inside of the store itself was a sight to behold as well. The dull green walls would be boring if it wasn't for the variety of potions that decorated them on shelves and tables. Shades from the entire color wheel, with some that even looked like galaxies in glass bottles. The flasks too, ranged from big to small, round to square, complimenting each other in a way that it shouldn't make any sense, but it did. The entire decor of the shop was messy yet clean; the potions, cauldrons and ingredients distributed in an organized mess that had a logic that only Wonwoo could know, and it made the place feel… Alive.

"Hey, should we wait upstairs?" Junhui asked as he took his and Jihoon's jackets, the younger ruffling up his own hair that was matted down from his hoodie.

"It's alright, I'm just closing up." Wonwoo pushed his round rimmed glasses further up his nose bridge, before continuing to write down on his notebook. "No one comes around this time anyway, it's already dark."

"Is business slow?" Junhui wondered, hanging their coats behind the front door while Jihoon approached the counter which Wonwoo sat behind, probably updating the inventory. He wasn't exactly an expert in how the younger ran his business, but he had helped out a few times before to know enough of his routine.

"No slower than it usually is this time of the year." Wonwoo hummed with a shrug. "Most people don't find the forest that inviting in the cold. Once the snow comes, it'll certainly put a halt on sales."

"Should you really be closing right now, then?" Junhui worried about him possibly missing a customer.

The younger simply waved him off though, finally putting away the book. "Like I said, no one really comes at this hour. If they do, they can just ring the bell." 

Wonwoo always kept the bell working in case someone was in a magical emergency of some sort. It didn't ring very often, most cases only being desperate teenage boys who had been cursed or put a spell upon because of their terrible behaviour.

"When is Soonyoung coming over?" Jihoon signed then, swiftly changing the subject.

"He said he'd be here around this hour, but I haven't heard from him ever since this morning." Wonwoo admitted. "You know how he is with technology. The idiot would rather send me a pigeon letter or some shit than just text me."

Jihoon snickered at that, signing something else that was probably another insult to their friend, though Junhui didn't look.

Jihoon had picked up sign language surprisingly fast. Well, no, surprisingly wasn't really the word, as Junhui know the boy could do anything he put his mind into. Still, in the same week he had lost his voice, he had already started to learn how to sign. And Junhui and all his friends, of course, learned with him. Though, by the end of it, instead of learning together, Jihoon was the one teaching them.

It was hard at first. Just like there were different languages in the world, there were different sign languages. They, of course, learned korean sign language, which added to the challenge in Junhui's point of view, since he wasn't exactly great at korean yet, even after all these years. Yet he never complained, and he never considered giving up. And sure, his fingers looked a bit clumsy sometimes, and his vocabulary wasn't the best, but he could understand Jihoon now, and that was the most important thing.

"I know! I don't get how he travels through the woods like it's no big deal but then refuses to sleep downstairs when he comes over because 'the tree outside looks like a demon'." Junhui had spaced out so completely that he wasn't even sure what Wonwoo was talking about, so instead he put the bag he carried down on the counter, pulling out three different books.

"Thanks for the books Wonwoonie. Where should I put them back?" With a flick of his wrist, books already began to float in the air, waiting for their assigned place.

"I think that shelf up there might have some space." Wonwoo looked behind him and upwards, pointing to a bookshelf that was nailed to the wall. "Were they any help?" He looked back at him after the books had already started moving.

Junhui, however, kept his eyes on the objects, making sure they'd fit in the right place. "Not really." He admitted with a thankful smile, nonetheless. "I mean, there were a lot of interesting things, but no… Nothing that fit."

Since Minghao had visited them, Junhui had been looking into every book they owned for information on what could possibly get Jihoon's voice back. And after he had gone through each and every one of their books, he had asked permission to look into their friend's. Unfortunately though, he hadn't been very lucky yet.

"You can grab a few more before you leave today." Wonwoo reassured him, smiling small once Junhui finally looked back at him. "Don't worry, I'm sure the answer is around here somewhere." He added with a pat to the older's shoulder, the warmth travelling through the layers of his clothes and bringing him an extra bit of comfort that the shop couldn't provide.

  


\----

  


"So, what are we watching?" Wonwoo asked out as he helped Junhui bring in the rest of the snacks. Soonyoung had brought some treats from his travels, while Jun and Jihoon had also brought a bag of chips. Wonwoo was in charge of the hot beverages, cooking up four servings of piping hot chocolate. 

All the food was now laid out on the old wooden coffee table, Jihoon already stretching over to steal one of the chip bags. Junhui took the opportunity to steal the spot next to the shorter, sharing the woolen blanket Jihoon had stolen from Wonwoo's bedroom. Their host settled on the other end of the couch, while Soonyoung linked up the laptop with the TV.

"It's Soonyoung's turn picking the movie." Junhui reminded them before shoving a handful of the salty crisps into his mouth.

After years and years of being friends, movie night had become a tradition. Whenever Soonyoung was around, they'd pick a night to gather at their or Wonwoo's place and watch a movie. Movie night also included seasonal drinks and whatever food they could find, and it usually ended with them talking more than actually watching movies.

"Yep! And I choose, drumroll please..." Unfortunately, none of the boys granted his wish, which resulted in a temporary frown over Soonyoung's face, before he smiled again. "The Little Mermaid!" He announced brightly.

"Seriously, Soonyoung?" Wonwoo asked in a contrasting, judgemental tone. "The little Mermaid? Don't you think that's a little inappropriate?"

"What? Just because it's a kid's movie?" Soonyoung scoffed. "Well, sorry to inform you Jeon Wonwoo, but The Little Mermaid is actually an award winning motion picture-"

"It's not that, you genius." Their host rolled his eyes behind his specs. "A girl who loses her voice?" He raised his brows then, tilting his head towards the other end of the couch.

Jihoon seemed to be caught by surprise, his triangular eyes blinking a couple of times in realization, before he snorted softly. "I don't mind." He signed, glancing at the other three. "But if I say I do, do I get to choose the movie?"

"No way, you can only change the movie if you're actually offended." Soonyoung protested, crossing his arms.

"Then I'm actually offended." Jihoon tried, though Jun promptly smacked him on the shoulder.

"Don't lie just to get your way." The older reprimanded, knowing his boyfriend loved teaming up with Wonwoo to get on Soonyoung's nerves. "Plus, I like The Little Mermaid. It's been ages since I've seen it."

"See! Junnie sides with me, The Little Mermaid wins." Soonyoung boasted proudly, shifting around to put on the movie. All other protests were ignored, and honestly it wouldn't be movie night without them.

In fact, they hadn't stopped talking since the beginning of the movie. Little comments here and there, thorough discussions on who was the best princess, heated arguments about the best character in the movie - nothing out of the ordinary. However, when the fated scene of Ariel selling her voice arrived, Soonyoung turned to them with a gasp, usually slanted eyes now wide and round.

"What if that's what happened!"

"What?" Jun asked, brows furrowing in confusion.

"What if that's how Jihoonie lost his voice!" The younger explained again, properly getting the three's attention.

"You mean… He gave his voice to a sea witch in exchange for legs?" Wonwoo raised a brow, judgemental eyes back at it again.

"Of course not." The older scoffed. "I mean, what if Jihoonie sold his voice?" He continued, gesturing as he spoke. "We know it wasn't a curse, right? And there's no spell out there-"

"_ That we know of _," Jun added, because he still hadn't lost hope.

"That we know of, that takes someone voice." Silence settled between them again as they all let Soonyoung talk, for once. "So what if he sold it? What if he made a deal?"

"That doesn't make any sense though. Why would he have lost his memory?" Wonwoo reasoned, though he didn't sound as dismissive of the idea as he was before.

"Maybe it was part of the deal or something." Soonyoung pointed out, looking back at Jihoon. "Does that sound like something you would do?"

The younger only shrugged at that, looking between the three with confusion in his eyes.

It didn't make a lot of sense to Junhui, either. What would Jihoon gain from a deal like that? It wasn't like he was Ariel, who sacrificed her voice to become human. Nothing had changed since Jihoon had shown up that day in Wonwoo's store. Nothing besides the fact that he was now voiceless, of course. Well, that and losing his memory.

Wait.

"Maybe it wasn't a deal." Junhui realized. "Maybe it was a side effect."

"Side effect of what?" Soonyoung blinked at the older.

"A potion." Jun looked back at Wonwoo then, who looked at him with something in his eyes. Maybe he was intrigued as well. "Some potions have side effects, right?" Junhui remembered that from when he worked at the store. Some of the flasks came with warnings on them, possible side effects of taking the potion or using it wrongly. "Can any of them cause memory loss?"

Wonwoo's lips parted and closed for a moment, the younger glancing at Jihoon for a second, as if assessing the situation. "Not any that I own, but… It is possible, yeah." He concluded, looking back at Junhui. 

"But I thought you said you couldn't find any potions that took people's voice." Soonyoung pointed out with a slight frown, glancing between Wonwoo and Junhui.

"No, but it's like you were saying, maybe it was that was the price they asked for it." The oldest continued to explain. "Maybe Jihoon traded his voice for the potion."

"Can that happen? Can you charge people their voices?" Soonyoung wondered out, this time with eyes fixed on Wonwoo.

"Not really. Potions have a set price, you can only charge in different currencies or maybe add value for the rarity depending on the region." The owner of the store explained, and Junhui felt himself deflating a bit, until the other continued. "But… Some potions require materials that the buyer has to provide."

"What do you mean?" Junhui asked, head tilting a bit to the side.

"Well, more basic potions can be made with ingredients that the witch usually carries. However, certain potions require special ingredients." Wonwoo scratched the back of his head as he elaborated. "For example, a shapeshifting potion needs some sort of DNA sample from the being you want to shapeshift into. And that's the buyers responsibility to provide, not the seller's. Not to mention some potions have special costs, due to how hard they are to make."

"So if there's a potion that requires a voice..."

"Then the buyer would've had to provide it, yes." Wonwoo concluded with a small nod.

"And is there such a potion?" There was a much brighter tone to Soonyoung's voice, and Junhui couldn't say he blamed him.

"Not that I can remember, but if there is, it's probably in one of my books." The witch reasoned. "If you'd like to look at it–"

"We would!" Junhui exclaimed with an excited grin, aware of yet not one bit intimidated by Wonwoo's impressive collection of potion books.

It was then that he felt Jihoon's forceful poking, looking back to find him signing 'No' repeatedly and emphatically.

"But Jihoonie–" He tried, but the other continued, shaking his head.

'Movie night.' He reminded them before gesturing to the animation that was still playing. 'You can borrow the books later, right Wonwoo?'

Wonwoo blinked, though he nodded at that, going back to his usual relaxed expression. "Yeah, you can grab whatever you want. You can even come here to read, if you'd like." 

Junhui smiled at that, settling back against the couch with satisfaction in his chest. "Alright, I can settle for that." He agreed, even though the thing he wanted the most was to dig into those books right at that moment.

Still, he knew it was a delicate subject for Jihoon, and he didn't want to push it. Plus, movie night was a tradition.

"Alright, then I'll rewind to see what we missed..." Soonyoung stretched over his set of blankets to reach the laptop, making Wonwoo protest. And by the looks of it, Jihoon would've too if he had a voice.

"You've seen this movie a thousand times!"

"Excuse you, but if you think I am letting us skip over 'Poor Unfortunate Souls', you have another thing coming." Soonyoung declared as he finally returned to his spot after having rewinded, ignoring any further complaints as the sea witch began to sing.

  


\----

  


When Wonwoo offered for him stay in his shop while he researched the books, he probably hadn't expected the older to keep true to his word almost every single day to come.

Well, not _ every _ single day. Junhui still had work and prior commitments of course, not to mention the days Jihoon would convince him not to bother their friend. However, with the exception of those, every other day he was there.

Sure, he always brought something along with him as a token of his gratitude, his mother hadn't raised an ingrate. Most of the time they were homemade sweets, something he was sure would sway Wonwoo and keep him from getting upset at the older. This time they were a simple, fried treat made of mostly flour and sugar. Not the healthiest option, sure, but a very popular one, especially among his friends. More specifically, Wonwoo and Soonyoung.

"Next time I'll try to bring more." Junhui snickered as he saw Soonyoung pouting at the empty plastic container.

The younger had been staying at the shop for a bit over a week now, ever since the movie night. The days were getting closer, and although he loved travelling no matter the climate, he knew better than to adventure out in a cold night. These were the seasons where Soonyoung would visit them more often, stay for longer. Also, the nomad was adamant in helping Jun with his quest.

"Don't, the more you bring the longer he'll stay." Wonwoo advised from behind the counter, fixing up a few of the items that had been misplaced when a young girl came in with her even younger brother.

The sun hadn't set yet, and the store was still open, which meant the owner was mostly with dealing with clients instead of helping out with their research, even though the movement was quite slow. Still, he had allowed them to read at the store, by the rug near the caldrons. Junhui laid on his stomach, propped up on his elbows with a book open in front of him. In contrast, Soonyoung sat with his legs crossed and a different book in his lap, pausing between flipping through the pages to glare at their host.

"You know, you should really be nicer to guests." He 'humphed' before focusing back on his book.

"You got a key, you're not a guest anymore. You're basically a leech." The younger grumbled, although there was barely any spite in his tone.

"If I have a key don't I get a say in what goes around here?" Soonyoung protested with a pout.

"Start paying rent and you do." Wonwoo replied easily. "In fact, start doing the dishes and you might get a say in it."

"I'll just stay a leech." Soonyoung grumbled lowly at that, so much so that Wonwoo probably didn't hear. Junhui did though, chuckling at his friend's antics.

"I can't believe the amount of potions there are out there." Junhui exclaimed then, steering the conversation into another direction. "And the costs! I mean, your happiest memory for a good luck potion?" He read out loud as he flipped another page. "Isn't that kinda harsh?"

"Like I said before, some potions need those types of things to work." Wonwoo explained, approaching them with a damp rag over his shoulder. "Not only do they make the potion stronger, it's kind of a… Guarantee."

"Guarantee?" Soonyoung asked, the two of them looking up as Wonwoo stopped next to the cauldrons, grabbing the rag to wipe them of any dust.

"Yeah. Potions that require those things, feelings, memories and all that, they're usually very risky potions." Wonwoo hummed as he wiped the inside of the smallest cauldron. "They are potions that can truly change someone's life, for better or for worse. They shouldn't be made and used for any reason. It needs to be a true one." Junhui frowned a bit at that, looking back at the potions in his book as the other continued to explain. "For example, a good luck potion can truly shift probabilities, causing a minor yet imbalanced change in the workings of the universe. Used it sporadically and carefully, it's fine, however abusing it could have major consequences. It's one of the many ways magic has of balancing things out."

"Like how enchanting certain things without proper care can have a negative result." Junhui reasoned.

"Exactly." Their host nodded, still cleaning the iron cauldrons.

"But I never see you asking anyone for anything like that." Soonyoung blinked up at the younger, who shrugged in response.

"I don't work with high cost potions. As you can see, they always taking something away from someone, and that doesn't sit well with me."

That made sense. Wonwoo loved his business, and he was a man who could easily state a price and not give his work away for free; something Junhui always struggled a bit with. However, Wonwoo was never someone to charge more than necessary. He was also not someone who would ever deny help to anyone in need, even if they couldn't afford it.

The oldest looked up around the store then, taking in all the potions it displayed. If not all, then most were simple, even if incredibly effective potions. To ward off colds, keep pests away, ease someone's mood. They changed seasonally, depending on what was more sought after. Yes, it all made sense. It was all very Wonwoo.

Junhui smiled to himself at the thought, looking down at his book as he turned another page. The boy then blinked then, staring at the potion described.

"What about love potions?" He asked, remembering the look of it by the artwork in the book.

Yes, Junhui remembered seeing it in the store a few summers back, when he was helping out. He thought it the most beautiful potion in the store, the flask completely see-through with no hint of color and the potion a light pink hue that seemed to glitter in the sunlight.

"You used to sell it, no?" Junhui looked up again to see if he spotted it, but with no luck.

Wonwoo paused at that, standing up straight with the rag still in hand. He looked over at some specific point on the shelves, perhaps where the potion once was. "Yeah, I did." He confessed, before shrugging once again. "But I decided it was not worth the profit anymore."

"How come?" The older questioned, brows tugging together in curiosity.

"The cost and the risks are too high for something that doesn't always pan out."

Junhui looked down at the potion description again, looking down at the cost and ingredients required. Most were ordinary, but there in bold, just like with every other high cost potion, was the ingredient that made it what it was.

_ Something one loves with all their heart. _

"What do you mean it doesn't always pan out?" Soonyoung's expression matched Jun's. "Your potions always work, don't they?"

Jun had to agree with the younger. Potions could turn out to be a dud if the witch didn't know what they were doing, but that was never the case with Wonwoo. He was the best potion witch they all knew.

"Thanks, but love potions don't work that way. You can't _ make _ someone fall in love with you. Not with magic, it's not real." Wonwoo sighed, as if he had explained that many times before. Perhaps he had to, to unaware clients. "They create a romantic love, an idealistic one. It's the 'rose-tinted glasses' kind of love. No disagreements, no fights, no worries. It's cute and it feels nice, but it's not real. Not to mention it's incredibly fragile."

"So it could stop working?" Junhui wondered.

"Easily." Wonwoo nodded. "Don't get me wrong. What they feel is real. Their experiences, their memories, it's all there. But love isn't love without its ups and downs, without sharing fears and insecurities. Once you start pointing that out to the couple, or start questioning their love, it all breaks apart." The host bit his lip for a moment in thought, before going back to cleaning the larger cauldron now. "I suppose if love was already there before they took the potion, there is a possibility it would stick, or maybe not fade out completely, but I've never seen it happen." He concluded with a shrug.

"Huh." Junhui blinked a couple of times, looking back down at the book.

_ Something one loves with all their heart _.

Seemed like a high price, for something so risky.

The oldest sighed, turning the page once again to continue his search for something that could've cost a voice. Wonwoo's explanation both worried and soothed him, though. It worried him because he feared such a potion not only cost him a lot, but it could've had dangerous outcomes. It soothed him, however, because he knew that at least it hadn't been a love potion, and from what Wonwoo had said, that seemed the most unstable one he had seen so far.

  


\----

  
  


Although the winter solstice was still over a month away, the snow had already arrived. First, in the shape of soft flurries, then in the form of small mounds piling up in their yard. Junhui, admittedly, wasn't the biggest fan of cold, but he did love the look of it. The white covered tracks, the clean sunsets, the hot chocolate mugs and bowls of creamy soup. Unfortunately, he hadn't seen that much of the latter two in the most recent weeks.

Most of the free time he had was spent at Wonwoo's store, reading and re-reading every book in there. He'd go in the morning and return long after the sun had set. Jihoon sometimes accompanied him, but he had work to do and didn't particularly love walking in the chilly night. Soonyoung had kept him company most days too, but eventually he had to leave for one more trip so he could return before the year end.

Today, it had been only him and Wonwoo, the younger having closed the shop much earlier than Junhui left. He only realized how late it was when the host had pointed it out to him, making the other curse under his breath and scramble to get his things. Getting home wasn't an issue for him. As a dimensional witch, Junhui was particularly skilled in apparition – or teleportation, for the less knowledgeable – which meant he was at their porch in the blink of an eye. However, Junhui could not change time, and although he arrived home in a matter of seconds, he still arrived late.

The tall witch took a deep breath before he unlocked the front door, knowing his boyfriend would be less than happy to see him getting in so late at night. Part of him wished the other was already asleep, but he knew Jihoon was a night owl, so there was no chance there.

"I'm home!" He called out then, deciding there was no point in trying to hide. He left his shoes and coat by the door, sighing as the familiar warmth embraced him.

He could see the light in the kitchen as he walked further in, assuming that's where Jihoon was. He tried coming up with excuses to why he was late, but really, what could he say? '_ Ah, yes, I got carried away with yet another book that didn't have the potion we were searching for _'. As if that hadn't happened with every damn book he picked up.

Junhui sighed once again, shaking his head as he paused in his steps. That wouldn't do it. There was no need to bring negativity into the house, no matter how unsuccessful their search had been so far. 

Finally gathering his courage and walking into the kitchen, he spotted his boyfriend stirring something on the stove.

"What are you doing?" His curiosity sparked at the scene.

"Just heating up the soup for you. Wonwoo texted me you were coming." The enchanted pen worked once again, writing on air.

"Snitch." Junhui muttered playfully, though from the look Jihoon gave him over his shoulder, he wasn't one bit amused.

The taller, pressed his lips together, placing his bag on the kitchen table. Even with just a look, Junhui could read him easily. He was upset.

"I'm sorry." He approached the other, hesitating for a moment before snaking his hands around his waist from behind. "I lost track of time again, I didn't mean to."

"I was worried." the pen wrote again, but Jihoon didn't shift. "It's getting colder, you shouldn't stay out so late. You shouldn't bother Wonwoo so much, either."

"I know, I really am sorry." Junhui insisted. "I just got so caught up. And I know I always do, it's not an excuse, it's just..." He let out a deep breath, resting his forehead on the top of the other's head. "I can't find that damn potion and it's driving me mad–"

The stirring stopped, and along with it, Junhui's words. He could feel Jihoon suddenly freezing in his hold, turning the entire room silent. Slowly, he unannouncedly removed Jun's hands from around him, leading the other to take a step back.

"Jihoon?" He asked carefully, a weird pit forming in his stomach. Had he said the wrong thing?

The younger turned slowly, but he didn't look up at him. In fact, his eyes were fixed on the floor, as if pondering over something.

"Am I less now to you?" He signed carefully.

Junhui frowned, head tilting slightly because he wasn't sure he understood that right. "What?"

"Am I less to you?" Jihoon gestured again, finally looking up. "Without my voice."

Fuck. Oh fuck. His eyes were heartbroken. They were dark and deep and moist and just, hurting. Hurting in a way Jun had no idea he could be.

"No– what? Jihoon, of course not." He shook his head quickly, trying to reach for him again but the other only stepped back, bumping against the stove that at some point had been turned off. "I just, I wanna help you, I wanna find your voice–"

"What if we can't find it?" Jihoon signed again, now a bit of anger in his eyes. 

Junhui knew better than that though. He knew _ him _ better. Jihoon wasn't angry. He was upset, frustrated. Junhui thought it was because of losing his voice, but maybe he had been wrong; and now he was trying to find out.

"Jihoon, you can't lose hope, of course we're gonna–" He tried, but the other was interrupting him again.

"No, what if we can't find it?" His movements were sharp and a little bit fast for Junhui to follow, frustration seeping out of him in every way. "Be realistic, there's a chance we can't find it. There's a chance I may never get my voice back. And then, what will you do?"

Junhui stood frozen at that, mouth partially open as he thought it over. Because once again, no, Junhui hadn't considered that alternative. He had never worked on the idea that maybe, just maybe, they wouldn't get Jihoon's voice back, they wouldn't find out what happened. And because he never considered it, he had no answer to what Jihoon asked him.

What would he do?

"I… I don't know." He admitted, wetting his lips.

"Well, I need you to know." Jihoon insisted, eyes becoming a bit more shiny as he signed. "Because if I can't get my voice back I need to know if you will still want to be with me."

Junhui gasped softly, eyes widening as he watched the other sign with tears in his eyes. How could he do this? How could he ever let Jihoon think that?

"Jihoonie..." He breathed, the shorter wiping any possible tears away with his forearm. "Jihoonie, you know I'd never do that. I love you."

"Would you still love me like this?" He asked, a questioned he never dared to ask before. "Even if I can't go back to how I was?"

Junhui swallowed thickly, carefully reaching out to cup the other's cheeks. Thankfully, he didn't push him away this time.

"I _ love _ you." The taller repeated, finding his own voice a bit weak at the moment. "And I know, I know I've said countless times before that I love your voice, just how I love your eyes and your sense of humor. I love them all, but only because they are _ yours _ ." Junhui bit down his lips, trying to convince him of nothing less than the truth. "And if you can't get your voice back, I won't love you any less. I would never. I _ could _ never. You're… You're you, Jihoonie. And I love you."

He was never the one who was good with words. Jihoon was the one who could write poems about the weather, while Junhui struggled like a kindergartener to tell the love of his life how much he meant to him. But he'd try, no matter what it took.

"The only reason I was trying so hard is because I know how much it means to you. Not just your voice, but what you could do with it. I know how much you love magic Jihoon, how much happiness it brings you to read out your spells and sing them into the night." His thumbs brushed gently over the slightly flushed cheeks. "Ever since it happened, I haven't seen you smile, not even once. Not like you used to, anyway. It feels like there's always something on your mind, something holding you back, and I… I just wanted to see you happy again."

"Then please, accept it." It was the pen that wrote this time, right in between them, while jihoons hands wrapped gently around his wrists. "Please accept that maybe there's nothing we can do, that we can't get my voice back." Junhui read, spotting Jihoon's eyes behind the golden letters and the sincerity in them.

"You want me to give up…?" He asked, confused.

"I want you to accept it." The pen wrote again over the words that had disappeared. "I'm tired, Junhui. I'm tired of being given hope and having it be taken away. I'm tired of watching you struggle so hard for something that might not be out there. I just… I've been trying hard to adapt, to accept that this is who I am now, but I can't do it alone. I need you by my side."

"I _ am _ by your side." The older insisted, stepping a bit closer, making it harder for the pen to write, if it had to. "And I'm on your side. Always."

There was no question in his mind about that. However, other questions came to him. All this time, he had been doing what he thought was right to help the other. All he had done was to find his voice again, find his happiness again, but perhaps Junhui had gotten it all wrong. Instead of searching for his happiness, he had stepped in the way of it, keeping Jihoon from it. Never in a thousand years would the older have wished to hurt him, but the reality was that he did. In his selfish search for what he thought was the other needed, he had kept him from what he truly needed the most. And only now he realized how much that must've pained him.

"Okay." Junhui finally agreed. Jihoon's eyes widened a bit in doubt, but the older smiled anyway. "You're right, I should accept it. I don't… I didn't realize, how much this was hurting you, and I'm sorry." He leaned in, tugging the other closer as well so he could press his lips against the boy's forehead gently. "If… If we find a way to get it back, then great. But I won't look for it anymore, okay?" He suggested, pulling back slightly to meet the other's eyes. "I won't neglect you over your voice anymore."

The younger stared at him in what seemed to be disbelief, but a moment later he nodded gently, mouthing a small 'okay'. He then hid himself in Junhui's arms, who held him close without hesitance, soup and search forgotten. What he needed the most was already in his arms, anyway.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The truth tends to come out.

"Yes, mom, we got the envelopes." Junhui chopped the vegetables while keeping an eye on the broth, waiting for the right time to put in the noodles.

"And the card? Did you get the card?" The voice boomed through the phone that was propped up against one of the tupperware containers that held the sauce. He had her on speaker, though he doubted it was necessary. His mother could speak through an open concert and still be the loudest one there.

Junhui still remembered the first time Jihoon had met his parents.  _ "Ah, so that's where you get it from" _ he'd said, when his mother's voice had echoed through the house before they had even reached the front door.

"Yes, I got the card." The son replied with a snicker, shaking his head a little to himself. "You and dad look great. Where did you take the picture?" He wondered, mostly to make conversation. He didn't see his parents often, so he tried to get the most out of it when they called.

Truth was, he loved hearing her voice, no matter how loud she got.

"It's that old park, by your aunt's house, do you remember? They just renewed it. It looks lovely, really. You should go there next time you visit!" His mother always makes a point of inviting them whenever she calls, not that Junhui's ever upset. Sometimes, maybe, but only at the fact that he couldn't visit as frequently as he wanted to. "And make sure to bring our Jihoonie! It's been ages since I've seen him."

Junhui chuckled at that. "Your Jihoonie? You know that I'm your son right, not him?"

"Really? You two are so glued together I can barely see the difference." His mother teased, while Jun dropped the vegetables into the broth. "How are things going with you two, by the way? Did you find out what happened to him?"

His mother knew about the whole voice deal, of course. At first they hesitated in telling their parents, but when months rolled by and they weren't getting any closer to an answer, they figured it was best to just tell them the truth.

"No, not really." Junhui sighed, pushing his hair back. "We found out it's not a curse, which apparently is a good thing, but that's all." The taller wet his lips, trying to smile, even if his mother couldn't see. "But that's okay, you know? There's a lot of people that can't talk out there, and Jihoonie's adapting really well."

"I'm sorry sweetie, I really am. I wish I could do something to help." His mother tone wasn't pitying in any way. It was embracing, understanding, just what he needed right now. "But you two are amazing, even more so together. I'm sure you can overcome this."

"Thanks mom." His smile was a bit more sincere this time.

"Plus, look at me and your dad! If we could overcome that, you can surely get through this." The that which she referred to was the period earlier that same year, where his parents were not getting along.

Well, 'not getting along' was an understatement. They were in the brink of divorce.

Sure, they hadn't been too romantic in the years before that, and maybe they had grown a little more quiet, but Jun had thought it was just them getting older. He didn't expect them to be like teenage sweethearts. However, he didn't expect the 'D' word either, and seeing his parents acting so cold and spiteful with each other had certainly made a hole through his idea of what love was.

He probably shouldn't have taken it so hard. He was a grown man, not a kid anymore, and he knew those things happened. The thing was, through most of his life, his parent's relationship was a guiding stone to him, a model of what to look for in a relationship. And then it was over. Disappearing right before his eyes, with none of the two wanting to make an effort to save it. And he felt insane for being the only one trying to salvage it.

However, one day, out of the blue, they were back together. Junhui had never found out how or why, they'd only called to say that they were going to give it another shot, and now they were sending cards and going on strolls at the park.

It had truly been a miracle.

"I guess you're right." Junhui nodded a bit to himself, blinking once he heard the doorbell. "I gotta go mom, I think Soonyoungie is here." He explained, taking the phone off the speaker to bring it up to his ear. "Bye, thanks for everything. And tell dad I said hi!"

He only heard a "bye, sweetie" before hanging up, rushing to the door not to leave the broth unattended for too long. And just like he predicted, his friend was right on the porch when he opened the door, hands rubbing together and shoulders hunched to shield his ears from the cold.

"Hey Soonie." Jun greeted him, stepping back to let the other into the house. "Where's Wonwoo?"

"He'll be coming in a second, he had to update some stock at the shop." His friend explained as he rushed in, bouncing a bit on his feet to warm himself. "I offered to help, but he said something about not wanting me to break his computer or some shit."

Junhui snickered, closing the door while the other took off his jacket. "Could never see that happening."

"I know right?" Soonyoung scoffed, though he sported a grin of his own as well. "By the way, where's Jihoon? I got something I need to tell you guys."

"He's in the shower." Junhui raised a brow, already interested. "What is it, though?"

"I found out something during my trips! Well, not really, kinda, just," He paused as he shuffled off his sneakers that were probably not made for walking in the snow. "One of my clients was this girl who couldn't hear, and I think she told me something useful!"

Junhui's expression immediately dropped at that, lips pressed into a thin line. Soonyoung knew they weren't looking into it anymore. After their decision, they had decided to tell them both, just to make sure they were all on the same page. And since then, it had all been peaceful. No more arguments, no more staying up late researching old books, no more pausing their lives to search for something they couldn't find. And Junhui was finally, finally making his peace with that.

" _ Soonyoung _ ." He said in warning, hoping the other would drop it.

"I know, I know you're not looking into anymore. And neither was I! But she told me–"

"I don't need to know, it doesn't matter anymore." Junhui insisted, crossing his arms. "And you'll make him upset by bringing it up."

"Then I can just tell you." Soonyoung insisted, giving him that look that just showed he'd not back down.

"We agreed not to look for it anymore, I promised him. If I do this I'd be breaking his trust." The taller pointed out.

"You're not breaking his trust, okay? You don't even need to look into it, it's barely anything, I just–" Soonyoung sighed, pushing his hair back with eyes fleeting to the side. It was a moment before they focused back on him, once again determined. "I need to tell you, okay? Otherwise it'll just be me with this information and I'd feel like… I don't know, I feel like I'd be keeping something from you, and I don't like that feeling."

Junhui inhaled slowly, looking at the stairs leading up to the second floor. He could still hear the water running, and for a moment he wondered if Jihoon would be mad at him right now. He hoped not. Shit, he really hoped not.

"Fine." He relented, looking back at the other. "What is it?"

Soonyoung's mood seemed to pick up a bit at that, but he held back from any inappropriate grins. "Okay, so he girl I found, she was deaf, and she was surprised I knew sign language, right? So we picked up a conversation, and she mentioned to me that she wasn't always deaf. So I tried to ask her what happened in a non jerk-y way, and basically she told me she sold her hearing for a potion."

Junhui frowned at that. "But there are no potions that cost hearing."

"Exactly!" Soonyoung's eyes got a bit wide before he continued. "That's what I told her! But then she was like, 'I didn't have to give up my hearing, I had to give up something I believed I couldn't live without', and since she was a musician, that was her hearing!"

"I..." Junhui's brows pulled together, head tilting a bit as he tried to make sense of all that. Was that what had happened to Jihoon? "But that's not possible. I mean, I guess it is, but I don't think Jihoon felt that way about his voice. I mean, you've seen how resourceful he's been, if he thought he couldn't live without it..." The older thought out loud, trying to connect the dots.

"Yeah, I don't think it was that either. I kinda wanted to ask what her potion was for, but since she didn't tell me right away, I figured it was probably something she didn't wanna share." Soonyoung admitted. "But I think that the point is that, maybe it wasn't his voice, but what his voice represented."

Junhui pursed his lips at that. It wasn't much. It was barely anything at all. It was maybe a clue, if they wished to look into it further. However, they had agreed not to. And therefore, it was nothing.

"It doesn't matter, anyway. We're not looking into it anymore." Junhui stated, though the way Soonyoung's shoulders slumped a bit didn't make him feel any better about it. "But thank you, for telling me. I mean it." He held his friend's shoulder, both smiling small at each other.

"Want some help in the kitchen?" Soonyoung offered instead of insisting on the subject.

"Sure, come on." Junhui nodded to the kitchen, accepting the other's truce.

  
  
  


\----

  
  
  


January had greeted them with the same cold front, yet with sunnier days. They were only three days into the new year, and Wonwoo had already reopened the shop. Apparently, business was rather good in the first couple of weeks of the year, despite the weather. Something about people needing help to stick with their resolutions.

Jihoon and Soonyoung went out there to help him, but Junhui decided to stay at home, intending to do a major clean up. Not that their house was particularly messy or anything like that, but at this point it had become a tradition to clean the house during the first week of the year, passed down by his grandmother and then his mother. Something about getting rid of old ill-sentiments and making room for new experiences.

In Junhui's experience, he just liked to clean. Not that he physically enjoyed it, but it busied his body and allowed his mind to run wild, daydreams filling his mind while he wiped the kitchen table. It was a bit different than his stress cleaning, which was usually characterized by him covering every corner of the room while doing five things at once. No, the new year's cleaning was serene, where he usually took his time doing each chore while listening to some music.

This time, instead of music, he was accompanied by Hansol's voice, that came out of the floating phone that followed him around on speaker mode.

"So you really decided not to look for it anymore, huh?" Junhui hummed in response, lifting the couch with a flick of his wrist to clean underneath it.

If it was anyone else asking, Junhui would've tried to change the subject. He was tired of talking about it, tired of people's surprise and pity whenever they mentioned that they didn't want to look for Jihoon's voice anymore. However, Hansol's voice carried none of that. It was light, genuinely curious, and one of the reasons Junhui enjoyed talking to him so much. Hansol was in some ways a lot like him, easy to talk to.

"Yeah, I mean, it's what Jihoonie wishes, and he should be the one with a say in it, right?" The older reasoned, wiping the dirt off the floor with a damp rag wrapped around the end of the broom. "After all, it's his voice."

"That's fair, to be honest." Hansol agreed, once again with no hint of judgement to his words.

Junhui carefully placed the couch back down, crouching next to the water bucket to wet the rag once again and wring it.

"What about his magic? Does he know another way to do it?" Hansol wondered, probably referring to the fact that Jihoon's magic came mostly from his words.

"Well, he can still write the spells, so he's been doing mostly that." Junhui explained, wrapping the cloth around the broom again to continue cleaning the floor. "His boss has been pretty understanding with it all too. I mean, it's hard to test spells when most of them require chanting." And Jihoon's job consisted mostly of doing test-runs of spell books before they were published. "But he's been handing him some non-verbal spells, which is kinda hard to adapt to since it's not really his type of magic, but he's been doing great."

"Woah, Jihoon-hyung really is something." The younger's praise made Junhui smile a bit, proud of what his boyfriend could accomplish.

"He really is." The older agreed. "Plus, I've been able to test some of his spells for him. He has to adapt them a bit, but basically he writes them out and I read them out loud." It was something they had done quite a few times before, not really for work as much as it was for fun. And even though now it was definitely for work, it was still a bit amusing to work on something like that together.

"Of course he does." Hansol snickered, making Junhui pause.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He frowned a bit, still holding the broom.

"Because Jihoon-hyung always loved writing stuff for you." The younger pointed out with a light bounce to his voice. "He's so whipped for you, especially your singing. It'd honestly be cringey if it wasn't cute."

Junhui scoffed then, although his cheeks did become a bit warmer from the other's words. "That's not true. It's just for his job."

"It's totally true!" Hansol laughed softly, a laugh so distinguishable Junhui could easily picture it. "In fact, he's so whipped, I wouldn't be surprised if he got rid of his voice or something just so he could have an excuse for you to read for him."

Junhui was the one to snicker at that then, rolling his eyes. " _ As if _ . He'd never give up his voice for that." He spoke with certainty, knowing his lover better than anyone.

"What makes you so sure?" There was still a hint of a chuckle to his words.

"Because, as much as he might love hearing me read his spells, which I'm not saying he does–" He rushed out before Hansol could interrupt him again. "He needs his voice to do his magic, and he wouldn't just give that up. He loves doing magic more than anything in the wor–"

_ Something one loves with all their heart _ .

Junhui didn't notice when the phone fell to the floor, or when the broom slipped from his fingers. He didn't hear when either of them reached the wooden tile, either. All he heard was those words repeating over and over inside his head.

_ Something one loves with all their heart _ .

No, it couldn't be. It didn't make any sense.

"Hyung!" Hansol called, momentarily snapping him out of it. "Hyung, are you there?"

Junhui swallowed dryly, looking down at the phone. Suddenly, everything seemed out of reach for him – as if the cleaning, the conversation, nothing mattered. Nothing besides those little words ringing in his ears. And he had no idea what to do, or what to think of it, but he knew one thing.

He had to find that book.

"Hyung?" Hansol called again while Junhui finally picked up the phone with shaky fingers and unsteady eyes.

"Y-Yeah, sorry, yeah, I'm here." Meanwhile, he rushed to their shared office, where he had been keeping Wonwoo's books. Most of them he had returned already, but he hoped the one he was looking for was still there. And thankfully, by some sort of universal alignment, it was.

"Hyung, are you okay?" Hansol asked, with worry dripping down every word. "What's going on?"

"I-yeah, nothing, I'm just– I'm sorry, can I call you back?" Junhui gulped, grabbing one of the two borrowed books that were still with him and opening it haphazardly over the desk, flipping through the pages quickly. "Say hi to the guys for me."

"I, uh, sure, call me later–" With a quick hum, which hopefully Hansol didn't take as a rude one, Junhui hung up, finally getting to the page he was looking for.

And there it was, staring back at him, in bold, cursive letters.

_ Something one loves with all their heart _ .

Junhui inhaled sharply, taking a step back. Somehow, somewhere in his mind, it was all starting to make sense. All the information they had gathered before, all the assumptions, they were all were connecting, forming a web more intricate than Junhui had first imagined, but still undone. There were still gaps, holes in his reasoning, dots that wouldn't connect no matter how hard he tried. The picture was still incomplete, and he knew there was only one person who could fill it in. One person who could make it all make sense again.

And with that one person in mind, Junhui grabbed the book with purpose, shutting his eyes and picturing one place, before disappearing out of the office with nothing other than magic.

  
  
  


\----

  
  
  


It was within the same instant that Junhui reappeared, unannounced and unexpected at Wonwoo's shop, unintentionally scaring off a couple of customers in the process. The three that remained, however, seemed startled, but not scared.

In the fraction of a second it took him to get there, Junhui could already feel the air getting thicker, his fingers gripping the old edges of the book a bit too hard.

He could see the look of surprise in his friend's eyes. Granted, Junhui was exceptionally skilled at the magic of apparition, but he did not do it that often. He much prefered walking places, enjoying the view and the company of whoever was with him. And whenever he did teleport, he didn't do it right in people's homes, for that seemed rather rude to him. However, desperate times called for desperate means.

"Junnie, what's wrong?" There was concern in the way Soonyoung squinted his eyes, distracted from whatever conversation he was having with Wonwoo. The three of them were gathered around the counter, Jihoon sitting on one of the stools that didn't make him that much taller.

Junhui pressed his lips together, looking between them. He didn't wish to do this in front of them, but his mind was a mess, and right now he just wanted answers.

With a flick of his wrist, the book jumped from his hand right onto the counter, opening in front of them. The pages fluttered in a hurry, until they opened on the right one, the one Junhui had been looking at moments before he showed up.

"It's a love potion, isn't it?" He could see the way Jihoon stiffened at his broken words, how his eyes quickly went from the page to Junhui. 

"What?" Again, Soonyoung was the one to ask, also glancing at the book before looking between them. "What are you talking about?"

"The potion you traded your voice for." Junhui continued, eyes set on Jihoon, who gave him that look the older couldn't understand through all those months. That look he thought was sadness, sorrow for losing his voice. That feeling he tried so hard to keep him from feeling again, the reason he searched so hard for his voice.

But it wasn't sadness, or sorrow, or anything he could've known at the time. It was guilt.

"It was a love potion, wasn't it?" Junhui smiled bitterly, knowing from the lack of the other's reaction that he was right.

"Wait, hold on a second, this doesn't make any sense." Soonyoung shook his head, looking as confused as Junhui had felt when he figured it out. "It says it right here, a love potion doesn't cost a voice, it costs–"

"Something one loves with all their heart." Junhui completed with the words he now knew by heart, giving Jihoon a break as he glanced at Soonyoung. "But you said it yourself, remember? It's not the voice, but what the voice represents. And to him, his voice represents his magic."

"Okay, fine, but it still doesn't make any sense. Love potions don't have memory loss as a side effect."

"You're right." He huffed softly, looking back at Jihoon once again. "They don't."

Jihoon mouthed his name on instinct, as if he had suddenly forgotten he had no voice to speak. It was funny, Junhui had never learned how to lip read, the skill seeming too far-fetched to him in his modest mind, but he could read his name on the other's lips as if it was the first language he had ever known. He had memorized the way his mouth moved around the syllables, the way he pouted just slightly at the 'J', just from the amount of times he had watched the younger call for him, say his name in the early morning or in the midst of the night.

Junhui shook his head, sniffing a bit as he took a step back. The other stood, slipping off the stool but not taking a step closer, allowing him space, or perhaps just afraid he'd scare him off.

"There's just one thing I still can't understand, one thing I can't- can't put my finger on." Junhui snickered to himself, his eyes beginning to sting. He didn't like this. He didn't like fighting, didn't like seeing Jihoon looking like he was cornered; but he also couldn't take not knowing anymore, couldn't take the theories that were running wild in his head, one worse than the other. 

"Why did you need a love potion?" He continued, wetting his lips and breathing in deep to keep some sort of façade in front of all that mess. "That's what I can't get, that's what doesn't.. Add up. I keep–" He shook his head, pushing his hair back. "Because when we met, years ago, you had a voice. You… When I fell in love with you, you still had your voice, which means, which means the love potion wasn't for me." Junhui reasoned, speaking a bit too fast, as he did when he got a bit emotional. 

"Which I guess it's great, you know? Because from what I've been told, from what Wonwoo told me–" He pointed at their friend, who wasn't looking all that innocent, if Junhui paid more attention. "It's pretty shitty, right? Because it's fake, it's not real. So I should be happy, because you didn't use that potion on me." Because he still loved him. Despite all that, he still wanted to wrap his arms around Jihoon and hold him close. His love was real.

"But I can't be..." His lips tugged into a smile that shook on its corners, trembling not to break. "Because– because it wasn't for me. Which means, it was for someone else..." Junhui concluded, eyes misty as he stared at his lover. "Which means..." Jihoon didn't love him.

As if reading his mind, Jihoon's eyes suddenly snapped wide. He shook his head quickly then, mouthing the word 'no' as he signed it over and over again, shaking his head, crossing his arms even, doing every gesture known to men to tell him 'no'. He looked desperate, rushing to Junhui and grabbing his arms, only to look into his eyes as he continued to mouth the word and shake his head. And as selfish as it was, the taller felt some comfort in not being the only desperate one in there anymore.

"Then who was it for?" He asked shakily, his fingers itching to take the other in his arms, but his heart refusing to do so. "I don't understand, I  _ can't _ understand, why would you give your magic away like that? Why- Who would you do it for?"

" _ For you. _ " Jihoon signed, making Junhui frown in the lack of a better answer. The younger continued though, fingers shaking as he signed. Junhui couldn't understand him though, failing to catch some words, his vocabulary never being the best. All he could understand was the other kept repeating ' _ you were so _ ' and then something he couldn't identify.

"I-I don't, I don't get–" Jun tried to explain, but was soon interrupted by another voice.

"You were miserable." Wonwoo explained, stepping out from behind the counter but still giving them some distance.

"What?" The older closed his eyes for a moment, brows tugging as he struggled to make sense of it all. "I don't understand, what does that have to do with anything? What are you talking about?"

"You were miserable." He could understand now when Jihoon signed. "You were so sad, and I hated seeing you like that. I hated it. I just wanted to see you smile again. Just wanted to make you happy."

"What are you  _ talking _ about?" Junhui stepped back, confusion now bringing anger along with it, frustration.

"I thought that if I fixed things, you'd be happy again. I thought that if I fixed them–" Jihoon continued not making any sense, not giving him the answer he had asked for, the one he needed.

"Fixed  _ who _ ?" Junhui asked in despair, exhausted of not knowing.

"Your parents." Wonwoo spoke out, patient and clear, acknowledging his guilt in it all.

"My parents? What does that even–" Junhui paused, taking another step back, his back now touching the shelf behind him. His parents. Of course.

The divorce.

"You..." Junhui breathed out slowly, as the puzzle was finally coming together.

_ I thought if I fixed them… _

"You gave the potion to my parents?" Junhui swallowed dryly, not believing the words that came out of his lips. The whole situation seemed like a nightmare to him, something far too surreal for him to come up on his own.

Jihoon only looked him in the eye, the guilt on his face already telling him all he needed to know.

"And you," Junhui looked up at the owner of the store, who sported a similar expression. "You knew?"

Wonwoo looked at him for a moment, sporting the same look Jihoon did. "I knew."

Junhui presses his lips together yet again, all the pieces now connecting. "You made the potion." It wasn't even a question, because Junhui already knew. He could tell by the way the other's shoulders dropped in shame. The only one who looked as taken aback as he felt was Soonyoung, who apparently knew as little as he did.

"I don't..." Junhui sighed, eyes still wet yet too stubborn to let any of it out. He didn't know what to do, what to say to that. What could he, anyway? He had been fooled, lied to, and the one person he'd seek comfort in was the person that did that to him. What could he possibly do?

"I… I need some time." The elder decided, not missing the way Jihoon's eyes widened, still managing to break his heart. He knew that if he stayed in that shop a second longer, he'd regret his words. He'd give in and forgive them for all they had done. He wouldn't give it the time, though. Wouldn't give them the chance to sway his feelings.

So in one second, he teleported out of there, leaving as suddenly as he had appeared, and still with one person on his mind.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> True love tends to mend itself.

It had been three days. Three days of Junhui not answering his calls, three days of Soonyoung ignoring his texts. Three days Jihoon had stayed at home, waiting for his lover to come back. Three days he hadn't seen him.

The house was quiet, more than it had ever been before. He could hear the pantry window bumping whenever the wind howled, could hear the way the wood creaked beneath his feet when he paced around the room. Every sound that was usually was ignored was now so clear, only emphasizing the silence that surrounded him.

And as much as he hated staying alone in that house, he had to stay. He had to wait for him, to see if he'd come back. Perhaps it was also a form of torture, of self punishment, forcing himself to deal with the consequences of his mistakes. Either way the wind, the wood, the loneliness, it all kept him from sleeping, from momentarily forgetting all the wrong he had done.

Suddenly, the doorbell chimed, though Jihoon knew better to get his hopes up. Junhui had a key; if he wished, he could open the door on his own. Still, the witch dragged himself out of bed, unbothered by how late it was, or how early, given the clock was already reaching 6 AM.

Once he opened the door, he was met by the only person he could expect at the moment, carrying a tote bag and wearing a thick coat to shield him from the snow.

"It's early, especially for you." Jihoon signed, though he welcomed the other inside, closing the door behind him.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" Wonwoo asked as he took off his shoes, pausing as he noticed the slippers still by the door. A sign the other hadn't come home yet. Still, he continued, removing his coat.

"No, it's alright, couldn't sleep." The shorter explained, making his way to the living room only to fetch the enchanted pen that had been left on the coffee table.

"You didn't sleep at all?" Concern showed itself on his friend's face in the form of a scowl, as he joined him in the living room.

"Caught some short naps, here and there." The pen wrote in the air, a bit slower than usual. Jihoon had found it hard using it when so much was going through his mind, as if it was harder to filter the words he wanted to show. "Just can't sleep through the night, it's not..." He couldn't find the word for it.

"I get it." Wonwoo hummed, placing his bag on the coffee table and pulling out two tupperware containers. "Brought you some food, figured you weren't eating that well either."

"Thanks." Jihoon signed, sitting down on the couch along with the other. "What are you doing here, though? Shouldn't you be opening the store in a couple of hours?" The pen continued then.

"Decided to take a day off." The taller confessed as he pushed himself up. "I'll go heat these up, can you get us some bowls?"

Jihoon nodded, following the other into the kitchen. When they returned to the living room, they set everything down on the coffee table, including the bowls, chopsticks and spoons. As they sat back down, Wonwoo uncovered the containers, one with white rice, the other with what seemed to be chicken with some type of spicy sauce.

"You didn't need to do all this." Jihoon pointed out, though he did start serving himself. "Won't that be bad for business?"

"It's covered in snow out there, people aren't venturing that much to go shopping." Wonwoo pointed out with a slight smirk, also filling his bowl. "Plus, I haven't been sleeping that well either. And I hadn't seen you since that happened, so..."

Ah, yes, _ that _. The thing Jihoon couldn't stop thinking about.

"I wanted to go to the shop." The shorter admitted, because he truly did. It was the one place that still felt like home to him, ironically. "I just thought it'd be best if I stayed here. In case, you know." He shrugged.

"I know, and I agree." Wonwoo hummed, licking his lips.

"What about Soonyoung?" Jihoon wondered, not knowing if their friend had gone to the shop after that day.

"I don't know, he's been ignoring my calls." The younger could see the other's eyes dip a bit, his expression faltering slightly. "I don't know if it's because he doesn't know how to work his phone, or if he hates my guts." He snickered, shaking his head. "Probably both."

Their friend had stopped talking to them ever since Junhui had found out the truth. Once the oldest of the four had disappeared from the shop, Soonyoung had let them have it. Junhui didn't really yell at people, he wasn't the sort to get angry like that. He wasn't the sort to get angry at all. But Soonyoung? Soonyoung was temperamental, wore his emotions on his skin and had no problem showing it. It was why he showed his happiness so easily, why he bickered so much with his friends, why he was the way he was, and they loved him for it. But it was also why he had no problem with yelling. No problem with accusing them of lying to them and going behind their backs, no problem with telling them the truth.

Soonyoung also held grudges. And when he walked out of that shop with his chest puffed out and his eyes red with anger, they knew it'd be a while until they would hear from him again.

"He doesn't hate you." The pen wrote out in front of them. "He's just Soonyoung about it. You know how he gets."

"I know." Wonwoo wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "But it doesn't make him any less right, does it?"

Jihoon looked down at his lap then, suddenly losing his appetite. That had been happening a lot in the last couple of days.

"I'm sorry." He apologized, looking back at the other. Wonwoo's brows raised at that though, showing a small bit of confusion in his eyes.

"Why? It's not your fault." Wonwoo shook his head, shrugging. "I mean, it is, but it's both our faults. I agreed to it, I knew what would happen if they found out. You shouldn't be apologizing to me, we should be apologizing to them. Especially to Jun."

Jihoon looked away, tugging his sleeves over his fingertips, uncaring about the fact that he was staining them with grease. "You tried to advise me otherwise."

"I did, but the minute I saw that look on your face, I knew it wouldn't work." Jihoon blinked at him, wondering what he meant. "You get that look, you know, when you get your mind set on something? There's no talking you out of it, I know that. We all know that." He explained.

"So why did you do it?" Jihoon asked, because he still wasn't sure why Wonwoo went along with it.

"Because, like I said, I knew you'd go through with it either way. And if I did it then at least I could make sure the potion turned out right, that you weren't giving up your voice for something that wouldn't work." Wonwoo concluded, setting his empty plate on the table. "Come on, try to finish your food." He prompted, noticing the other's plate was still pretty full.

Jihoon nodded a bit, forcing another spoonful through his lips. "I never cared about giving up my voice, you know?" The lines came out shaky. "I mean I cared about it, about my magic, but it was never an issue, you know? Not if, not if it got his happiness back. I just wanted to see him happy again."

"I know." Wonwoo hummed, reaching out to run a comforting hand along his back "I know."

  


\----

  


Two weeks had gone by, and Jihoon had grown accustomed to Wonwoo's visits. In the beginning he worried, because although he appreciated the gesture, he didn't want his friend taking time off his own business to simply keep him company. However, he soon learned that Wonwoo wasn't doing that only for Jihoon, but for himself. He learned, in the way that his friend tried to come earlier in the evenings and even slept over more often than not, that he too was feeling lonely.

Of course, Jihoon couldn't blame him. Once the resolutions hype wore off, this time of the year was tough on the shop, not a lot of customers. Not only that, but normally Jihoon and Junhui would constantly visit him throughout the week, and Soonyoung would usually stay until the third week of January. Yet with all that had happened, the only one working at the shop was its owner, and it was a big house to be alone in. Jihoon understood that quite well.

However, what Jihoon didn't understand was why Wonwoo had to ring the bell repeatedly at nine in the morning. Although they'd both agreed he'd try to only show up in the evenings –it was the deal they had made so Jihoon wouldn't feel like the older was neglecting his own shop, Jihoon knew it was him, for he was the only visit he got nowadays.

He couldn't even shout at him to wait as he slid on an oversized hoodie and made his way downstairs, slippers slapping against the wooden a bit too strongly, due to his usual morning mood. He grabbed the enchanted pen on his way to the door, mentally cursing at what he assumed was the tenth ring of the bell. Jihoon pulled the door open a bit too strongly, ready to scold the other for the impatience, before he was met with a sight he did not expect.

Soonyoung.

No words came to Jihoon at that moment, while the two friends stood there, silently facing each other.

In other days, precious days, Soonyoung would make his way inside without even needing an invitation, letting him know in good volume why he was there. Now though, he simply stood by the porch, hands hidden in the pockets of his coat as he pursed his lips together, looking away.

"Can I come in?" It was unusually low for Soonyoung, though it was still loud and clear. "It's freezing out here." He said, still avoiding his eyes.

It took the host a moment to process those words, before he nodded jerkily, stepping back to allow the other inside. He closed the door while the other shook off his coat, leaving his boots by the entrance as well. Once he was all settled, silence fell upon them again, the silence Jihoon had grown to hate in the last couple of weeks.

Despite terribly afraid of saying the wrong thing, Jihoon could see Soonyoung wasn't going to say the first word. He knew his friend, he knew by the way he continued to stand by the entrance instead of making himself comfortable in the living room, that he had something to say. Yet he also knew from the way his arms crossed over his chest and his eyes kept glancing everywhere but at him, that he wouldn't break the first word. So it was up to Jihoon.

"Why are you here?" The pen wrote in cursive, a bit small, perhaps showing a bit of Jihoon's fear of being misinterpreted as ungrateful.

With the words glowing in front of him, Soonyoung finally had a reason to look in his direction.

"I came to check on you." He confessed with a shrug, fingers gripping at his own arms.

"Check… on me?" Jihoon raised a brow as the words glowed. "Thank you, but..." He bit down his lower lip, afraid to ask. "Why?"

Soonyoung huffed at that, pushing his hair back. "Because that's what friends do, right?"

Jihoon swallowed silently to keep his mouth from gaping. "So we're still friends?" A familiar yet distant feeling tugged at his heart. Hope.

The older frowned however, staring at those words in disbelief. "Of course we're still fucking friends, why would you even–" Soonyoung stopped himself then, perhaps noticing how bitter his words came out. Jihoon didn't take it personally, not too personally anyway, he knew that was how Soonyoung worked. He wasn't afraid of his feelings and sometimes it made him sound a bit intense. However, the fact that he was holding himself back already showed great maturity from him.

"You did something bad. Actually, not that bad, just, stupid. Plain stupid." Soonyoung continued. "And yes, I was furious at you, at both of you. I'm still mad, actually." The other admitted, though honestly Jihoon didn't expect anything less. "But… That's what friends do, right?" Soonyoung reasoned, his expression softening, showing a bit of exhaustion in his eyes. "We make mistakes, we fuck up, but.. We forgive each other, right? We can't expect each other to be perfect, otherwise… What's even the point of having friends?"

Jihoon breathed in slowly, the other's words wrapping around him like a soft blanket. Such a warm break from the winter cold.

"I really am sorry." The pen wrote out, lines slightly shaky. Jihoon had noticed that it did that sometimes, letters coming out too sharp or other times too unsteady. He wasn't sure if the problem was with the pen or with him.

Soonyoung sighed a bit loudly, wetting his lips. "It's okay, I forgive you." He spoke softly, but the words rang in Jihoon's mind like a beautiful melody. Fuck, he needed to hear that. "I'm still mad at you, but… I get it, I guess. I don't agree with what you did, especially not with how the two of you went behind our backs, but I get it. And I was also..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I was worried about you, here all alone. And I'm worried about Jun."

Jihoon blinked at that, waves of anxiety suddenly hitting him again. "Why? Have you heard from him?"

"No, that's the thing." Soonyoung shook his head. "I haven't heard from him since that day. I thought, I thought maybe you guys had contacted him or something–"

"We thought maybe he was talking to you." It'd made sense, right? After all, Soonyoung wasn't in on it with them, he was just as ignorant to all that had happened as Junhui. Jihoon assumed that he'd at least reply to Soonyoung's messages, but to know he hadn't been talking to him either made everything somehow worse.

"No. I tried calling and texting him, but I just get voicemail. I think he turned off his phone or something." Soonyoung sighed again, probably reading the concern all over Jihoon's face. "But don't worry, okay? He'll talk to us soon, I know it–"

Jihoon didn't know what came over him, he was never one to show affection physically, but he was suddenly leaning into the other, wrapping his arms around his waist and pulling him into a tight hug. And he could feel his friend's shock by the way he quickly froze in place. Yet soon, thankfully, he too was wrapping his arms around the shorter, warm despite the cold he had just come from.

Jihoon focused not to let the pen spill out any of his secrets, afraid it'd just spell out shaky 'sorry's' and 'I miss him'. Instead, he held onto Soonyoung tightly, hiding childishly in his embrace.

"It's okay, we'll figure something out, alright? I know it." The taller spoke into his hair. "I talked to Wonwoo already too, stopped by the shop before I came here." That comforted him a little bit. He hated the idea of the two not talking to each other. "We'll fix things, I know it. Junnie loves you, that hasn't changed."

Jihoon inhaled shakily, pulling back while rubbing his nose. "How can you be sure?" He signed.

"I just know it. In fact, everyone knows it." Soonyoung smiled warmly, and damn, Jihoon had only now realized how much he had missed that smile. "A love like that doesn't change easily, Jihoonie."

The shorter gulped quietly. "If you say so."

"I know so." Soonyoung spoke with a confidence Jihoon certainly needed at the moment. "But how about we have some breakfast for now? Get you up and running?"

Jihoon looked down at himself then, noticing how he was still wearing his sleeping sweatpants and the oversized hoodie. "Yeah, that's probably for the best." The pen wrote out once again, while the younger turned to head to the kitchen.

"I can cook!" Soonyoung volunteered.

"No fucking way."

  


\----

  


It was nearing the third week when he got the text from Wonwoo.

Soonyoung was staying with him that particular afternoon, the two of them trying to enjoy the saturday with some snacks and some movies. In reality, the older was trying to distract Jihoon from the fact that he hadn't seen his lover in almost three weeks. It didn't really work, but Jihoon appreciated the sentiment.

They had just started the second movie of their choice, when Jihoon got the text. It wasn't something unusual, Wonwoo had gotten the habit of texting him daily. Also, he was supposed to stop by later, after closing the shop, so he expected him to text or call at some point.

He didn't expect _ that _, though.

'Jun stopped by, come asap'

It was then a matter of seconds before Jihoon was out the back door, Soonyoung running after him as he made his way through the woods. He lacked a coat and proper shoes, but he didn't care. The younger made it to the store in record time, panting loudly as he nearly kicked the door open.

"Where is he?" He signed, hands trembling from exhaustion and nervousness. "Where is he?" He repeated.

Wonwoo stood alone though, a hesitant look in his eyes. "He left already."

"Where did he go?" Jihoon signed, scowling. "Why didn't you stop him?"

"He left before I texted you, he wouldn't let me tell you he was here." Wonwoo explained, sounding much too patient for Jihoon's stressed self.

"You should've called me anyways." His hands moved strongly, trying to showcase his despair.

"And go behind his back again? That's what got us in this mess in the first place." Wonwoo clenched his teeth, looking away to breathe in slowly. "You know I couldn't, you know better than that."

Jihoon did. He really did, yet he was too desperate, too much of a nervous wreck with the prospect of seeing his lover again. Seeing the way Wonwoo was trying to stay calm though, he attempted to do the same, leaning against one of the walls as he still tried to catch his breath.

It was then that Soonyoung finally arrived, panting and holding a thick winter jacket with him. "Are you crazy?! It's snowing out! Why the hell did you run out like that?" The taller reprimanded as he draped the coat over his friend's shoulders, rubbing his arms in an attempt to warm him up.

"Jun came to the store." Wonwoo explained, Soonyoung's eyes growing wide with the information.

"Well, where is he?" He asked, looking around.

"He already left, before I texted Jihoon. He didn't want to talk to anyone." Wonwoo bit his lip, rubbing the back of his neck.

"But he talked to you?" Jihoon signed, feeling an unwanted spite of jealousy.

"Barely." The owner confessed.

"Why did he come by, then?" Soonyoung's brows furrowed together.

"He wanted to ask what had happened. Well, more like why I had done it." Wonwoo continued to explain, pulling a chair to sit down in front of them, elbows on his knees. "Why I had made you the potion." He clarified.

"And what did you tell him?" Soonyoung asked, although he already knew the answer. They had all talked extensively about it, at some point.

"The truth. That I knew Jihoonie would go to someone else if I didn't do it, all that." Wonwoo shook his head lightly, sighing.

"He came just for that?" Jihoon signed, now frowning as well. That didn't make much sense. If Junhui wanted to know that, why didn't he come to him in the first place?

Wonwoo swallowed audibly, sitting up straight as he pushed his hair back. "No, there was something more. I think that was the actual reason he came here."

Jihoon and Soonyoung glanced at each other, the same doubt in their eyes before they looked back at the shop owner.

"He wanted to know a way to get your voice back." Wonwoo confessed.

Jihoon's frown deepened at that, and the younger shook his head lightly. "But there's no way, right? I gave it away. It was no curse, no enchantment." Yes, potions were reversible, but the purpose of the potion wasn't removing his voice. His voice was an ingredient, a currency. From what Wonwoo had previously explained to him, there was no way of reversing that.

"There's no traditional way, no. However..." Wonwoo chewed on his bottom lip before he continued, adjusting his glasses. "Junhui had read of a potion, one that could recover something dear that had been lost."

"And could that work?" Soonyoung wondered, looking between the two.

"I can't say for sure, the specifics of the potion are pretty ambiguous. It could work, or it could do nothing." Wonwoo clarified.

"Did he ask you to make the potion?" Jihoon asked, dreading the answer.

"Yes." Wonwoo looked him right into his eyes when he replied, and the younger could sense there was more to it. "And I agreed to it."

"Why?" Jihoon signed.

"He said I owed him, and I couldn't argue with that." Their host reasoned.

"Okay wait, isn't that a good thing?" Soonyoung asked out, ever so hopeful. "I mean, if he found a way to get Jihoonie's voice back, wouldn't that fix everything? Or I guess, nearly everything." Because it didn't fix the fact that they had went behind his back in the first place.

"The thing is..." Wonwoo sighed, looking at the two of them. "It's a high cost potion."

A silence took over the room, turning Jihoon's thoughts even louder in his head.

His hands were fearful, trembling a bit, as he signed. "What does it cost?"

He didn't like the way Wonwoo looked at him. The way his eyes softened, the way his lips pressed together as if he didn't want to tell him.

"What does it cost?" Jihoon repeated, feeling his pulse picking up and his hands shaking a bit more.

"The pain of a broken heart."

  


\----

  


Somehow, things had gotten even harder for Jihoon after Junhui had shown up at Wonwoo's shop, after they learned of his plan. Jihoon's mind kept travelling back and forth, trying to figure out what steps he intended to take, how he could stop him. It also reminded him constantly that this was all his fault, that he was too careless. That he should've done things better, or maybe not have done them at all.

Whenever Soonyoung or Wonwoo visited, which was now nearly constantly, he had given up on using the pen. It didn't work properly anymore, it kept forming broken sentences, interrupting itself. Or perhaps it was Jihoon who couldn't make sense of his own thoughts anymore.

During the week, he had little time for himself, thanks to his friends checking up on him. Now was one of those times, though. Wonwoo was supposed to arrive in about half an hour, and Jihoon took the time to clean the dishes, not bothering to use any sort of spell to do it. He realized the manual labor kind of helped getting his mind off of places he didn't want it to go. Now he understood why the older liked stress cleaning so much.

It was when he was rinsing one of the bowls that he heard footsteps.

Jihoon shut the tap.

Footsteps, but no doorbell.

Someone had gotten in without ringing the bell.

The short witch dropped the bowl into the sink, paying no mind to weather it broke or cracked or whatever the fuck it did. Jihoon didn't care as he rushed out of the living room, stopping in his tracks when he saw who stood there.

Junhui.

_ Junhui _.

Jihoon gulped, wanting to run and hold the other, wanting to wrap his arms around him and never let go, but he stood still. He had no idea what to do, which steps he was allowed to take, but he didn't want to scare the other away. So he stood and waited.

Junhui noticed him quickly, too. He looked… Honestly, he looked like he always did. Soft, brown hair, pretty lips, a healthy glow to his skin. Jihoon was glad, glas he hadn't changed. But his eyes weren't as happy as before. They weren't filled with anger the way Jihoon had expected, nor wet like the day he had found out the truth; yet they still carried a bit of sadness, a hint of pain.

Jihoon wanted to apologize, to beg on his knees for forgiveness, to ask where the other had been. But before he could humiliate himself, Junhui stepped closer, stretching his arm out with a small flask in his hand.

"Drink." It was the first thing he spoke to him. "And focus on your voice."

The shorter eyed the glass and the light blue liquid in it. It was the potion.

His eyes widened as he looked up at the other, shaking his head lightly. "I can't–" He tried signing, but the older simply thrusted the flask against his hands.

"Drink." He insisted a bit sharply, before his eyes softened. "Please." His voice broke halfway through the word, and Jihoon couldn't find it in himself to deny him.

Carefully, he took the flask, pulling out the cork in it and bringing it to his lips. Though it looked pretty, it tasted bitter, somewhere between a far too strong coffee and a citric lemon. It was easy to say it didn't taste any good. However, Jihoon drank the entirety of it, shutting his eyes tightly as he tried to focus on his voice.

It was hard, it was hard because all he could think about was Junhui. All his mind went to was the fact that he was here, he was back, and Jihoon needed to apologize. But he tried to focus, if only for the older. He tried to think about all the times Junhui had asked him to sing by the piano, all the spells he had written and read out loud for the other to listen. He thought about all the times he had told the older he loved him, how hard it was to say those words years ago, and how easy Junhui had made them. And then he coughed.

He coughed dryly, grabbing his throat and bending over from the strength of the cough. The liquid seemed to scratch its way down his throat, and though it didn't exactly hurt, the unpleasant feeling brought tears to his eyes.

Only when he was done with his coughing fit did he realize that Junhui had moved closer, his hand splayed out on the shorter's back in an attempt to soothe him. Part of him wished he'd continue coughing, just to feel the warmth of the other's touch. 

Regrettably though, he stood up again, Junhui's hand slipping off of him. He wet his lips, trying to make up for the dryness in his mouth. He knew he should try to speak now, knew that's what the potion was for, but when he looked up into the other's eyes, he found himself a bit petrified. What if it didn't work? What if he had disappointed Jun yet again?

Regardless, Jihoon tried. He swallowed dryly before parting his lips, still looking up at his lover.

Nothing but a whisper came out. In fact, Jihoon wasn't even sure if it was a whisper, or just his imagination, so he tried again. For him.

"I–" It was his voice. Not his everyday, regular voice. It was the voice he usually had when he had to wake up in the morning or when he was recovering from a cold. It was low and groggy, as if dusty from being left unused for such a long time. But it was there.

It was his voice.

"I–" Jihoon repeated, this time signing as well, a bit of a reflex by now. "I'm sorry." 

Of course, he wasn't nearly as fluent in sign language as he was in spoken language, but he wanted to show how sorry he was in every way possible.

"I'm so sorry, Jun. I'm so sorry. I love you." The words stumbled out, begging to be spilled. "I never meant to go behind your back, I never meant to hurt you. I just wanted to see you happy, but that's no excuse, I know that's no excuse, and I'm so, so sorry. I'm so sorry Junnie." He boldly took the other's hand with both of his, surprising the elder a little bit.

Even after all that happened, even after it all seemingly worked out, he was still afraid. He still feared the other would reject him, maybe pull his hand away.

Instead, Junhui let his hand be held. He let Jihoon's fingers grip his, and even closed a bit around them.

"It's okay." He spoke softly, looking down at the younger. "I mean, it's not okay. What you did was not okay, but I forgive you." He smiled small, nothing close to what his true smile looked like, but it was something. "I don't wanna fight about it anymore."

Jihoon pressed his lips together, eyes watering for the simple reason that he did not expect those words to grace him. Not so easily.

"But my voice–" Jihoon swallowed quietly, brows tugging together. "What did it cost?"

Junhui shrugged at that, looking away. "I assumed Wonwoo would've told you."

"Yes, but how?" He knew what it cost, which was why he didn't even want it back in the first place. 

The older pressed his lips together, before looking back at him. "My parents love. I told them the truth, I undid the effects of the love potion. I broke their love..."

"And your own heart with it." Jihoon concluded, watching how the other smiled sadly. No, he didn't deserve that, he never deserved that. "You shouldn't have–"

"It was my choice, Jihoonie." He spoke firmly. "It's also the reason why I took so long. It didn't take me that long to figure things out, but I just… I wanted to spend some time with them together, you know? As a family. Because I knew that, that once the love potion was off and they went back to hating each other, I'd never..." He chuckled small, shaking his head as he sniffled quietly. "I just wanted to be a little bit selfish, just this time."

Jihoon shook his head quickly, reaching up with one hand to cup the other's cheek gently. "You were never selfish. And even if you were, you had the right to be." He insisted, thumb running gently under his eye. "I never wished for that, you know?" He confessed.

"If my parents' love needed a potion to survive, then it was already beyond saving." Junhui reasoned, ever so intelligently. "I just wish I could've realized that sooner. I wish I wouldn't have overreacted so badly to their divorce. Then maybe you woludn't have done what you did."

"It was my choice." Jihoon pointed out. "It was a bad choice, yes, but it was mine. And at the moment, I didn't regret it.

"But why?" Junhui frowned, as if that was the one thing he still couldn't understand from all of it. "Why would you give up the thing you love the most for me? Why would you give up your happiness for mine?" He questioned, his tone exposing how desperately he needed those answers.

"Your happiness is everything to me." Jihoon confessed, looking straight into his lover's eyes. "I'd give up every word, said or unsaid, to make you happy."

Junhui paused at that, taking in his words. Jihoon knew how selfish he sounded, but he cared not to speak of anything less than the truth by that point. And the older seemed to appreciate it too, as it was his turn now to cup Jihoon's cheeks, with both hands.

"If you must insist on that, then give them all to me." He spoke softly, kindly. "Every word, every spell, every song, let me hear them. If unspoken, let me feel them. Because I don't care how miserable I might seem, I'm the happiest when you're happy." Jihoon inhaled shakily, feeling the tears gathering in the corners of his eyes again. "Will you allow me that?"

The younger gulped silently, before nodding gently. "Yes." He spoke in a whisper, because he was afraid he'd sound to shaky if he spoke any louder.

With a more genuine smile, Junhui leaned in, gracing him with a soft, warm kiss that seemed to instantly heal all his wounds. Jihoon allowed himself to close his eyes for a moment, hands gently wrapping around the taller's wrist as a plea for him to stay close. And he did, even after he pulled back, his eyes barely inches away, so deep and familiar.

"I really am sorry." Jihoon repeated yet again, because he didn't think he had said it enough.

"I know." A bit of thankfulness gleamed in the older's eyes, as if he still appreciated them. "I forgive you." Jihoon smiled a bit, because he too appreciated hearing those words.

With another bolt of courage, he wrapped his arms around the other, tugging him into a tight hug and hiding against his chest. He knew Wonwoo would probably walk in at some point, he knew he should actually let them know Junhui was back; but at the moment, he couldn't think of anything else.

Because Junhui had returned to their home. _ Their _ home. And their home was only a home when the two of them were there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so so much for reading this!!  
And thank you so much for everyone who organized the fic fest! I had such a fun time exploring this au, so thank you for the opportunity!
> 
> Make sure to check out [@onceuponadawn96](https://twitter.com/onceuponadawn96) on twitter to find more 96line fantasy au fics that participated in the fic fest!!
> 
> If you'd like you can also find me on twitter [@fastpacingg](https://twitter.com/fastpacingg)
> 
> Also please feel free to leave a comment telling me what you thought of it!!


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